Nigeria Deals Blow to Students Who Studied in Ukraine

The Federal Government of Nigeria has announced a platform to facilitate the placement of Nigerian students evacuated from Ukraine into Nigerian tertiary institutions. This is despite the over four months’ strike by university lecturers in Nigeria. The spokesperson of the ministry of foreign affairs, Francisca Omayuli, said this was to enable them to continue their studies. The Russian invasion of Ukraine, which started on February 24, led to the disruption of lives and activities in Ukraine including education. Millions of people have been displaced in Ukraine with different governments including Nigeria’s evacuating their citizens from the war-torn country. Nigeria received over 1,000 evacuees from Ukraine in March; most of them being students. Many of the students have been undergoing online classes in their Ukrainian universities while others have had their education stalled until this announcement. The Nigerian Medical and Dental Council (MDCN) recently announced that it will not accept Ukrainian certificates issued during the war because it does not recognise online studies for medical students. The MDCN advised the affected medical students to continue their education in Nigerian universities. Nigerian lawmakers last week opposed the stance of the MDCN and asked the council to allow students in the 5th year of their medical programmes in Ukraine to be absorbed into medical schools in Nigerian universities to complete their 6th year.

SOURCE: PREMIUM TIMES